Last year’s cross country season went very well for the Hughson Huskies. We had an unstoppable freshman team. Full of aces like, Joseph Lighthall, Kyson Rytting, Isaiah Ramme, and Brain and Luis Campos, Perla Acosta, Julie Parks, and Hope Thompson (just to name a few). The freshmen teams had many wins up there belt as they barreled head on into playoffs.  Kyson Rytting stated “Being on the team is super fun and cool.  Some days you have to get a hard workout in, but the coaches and my teammates make it fun.  We make each other better.” 

The junior varsity team had some success as well. This team had some aces like Cole West, and Luke Mountain, Tori Kelly, Valerie Richerdson and Veteran, Anna Brown. These athletes  set up the JV teams for greatness. Our Varsity team was as hot as ever. They barreled through non-league meets and had many wins. But they could not seem to clinch our league title this year. We fell to Riverbank High school. We still clinched a playoff berth. Little did we know, that for the first time since 2012 The boys Varsity team would clinch a team state berth. And Ellie would clinch her fourth in a row state meet spot. 

Last year’s season ended with a bang. as we started looking forward to the 2020 season. Our hopes were dashed as the Covid-19 pandemic swept the world into a frenzy. Just as things started looking better they announced that school would not be starting in-person at the beginning of the school year like we hoped. To make things worse fires started raging through the state of california making it difficult to run outside.

Fires have ripped through the state of California over the past three weeks. These fires have made it almost impossible to run every single day. Firefighters have been giving it their all to stop these fires. People have lost their homes. Cities have been burned. People’s lives ruined. Asked how he feels about the fires preventing him from training,  Jacob Hanson stated, “ well we are lucky our houses are not on fire. I don’t like it, but people’s lives are being ruined.”

Much like the fires, distance learning has changed peoples lives as well.  Learning has transitioned to an online platform and this has had a ripple effect on the cross country team because the coach can’t see his athletes progress. 

The Huskies Cross Country Team is ready to go smash some records. Hughson High, holds 18 percent of the top fifty runners for the 2019 season for freshmen. The freshmen team has so much dominance over the section that they are respected section wide. Hughson High, also holds 16 percent of the top fifty runners in tenth grade. 

Hughson High has placed four freshmen girls into the top fifty runners for the 2019 season. This freshmen team is very dynamic and very supportive of everyone. Now the sophomore girls have five girls placed in the top fifty for the 2019 season.

Will of these records set help propel the Hughson High Cross Country Program for the 2020 season? Wait and See.